Sunday, November 4, 2018

The Blue People

These are the Quarrians, a race inspired by one of the works of Daniel Stone, a young author and close personal friend of mine. I failed to promote his last book, to my eternal shame, so now that he's released his latest one, I am going trumpet this fact from the rooftop. The newest one is called Color Me Blue, and you can find it here. But the race described below is actually based off the people in his last book, which can be found here. He gets all the credit for the broad strokes and the main body of this post, I merely adapted it and filled in the gaps he left behind.

There are many intelligent races in the world of Nukaria, but a few of
them have risen to prominence, to dominate their neighbors and rule over
them, forming great land Empires in the process. There are four that
have done this, the Orzane, the Dwarves, the Handsome Men, and, of
course, the Quarrians. It is that last group that we will be discussing
today.

<source unknown>

Appearance

Quarrians are universally dark-haired and dark eyed, their eyes being solid black, their sclera matching their pupils. Their skin is blue, ranging from the deep navy to cobalt, depending on the Quarrian's breeding and lineage. They have short claws on the end of their fingers, though these are too short to be used as anything other than a weapon of last resort. Other then that, they are otherwise fairly normally, physically. They bleed purple blood.

Quarrians are also crepuscular, sleeping during the middle of the day and in the middle of the night, and doing most of their business in the evenings or mornings. They see well in low-light, though not in perfect darkness, and wear hoods and veils to shade their eyes against bright light. Racial Archetype:
Quarrians generally are:
- Family-Oriented
- Loyal
- Slow to Anger
- Distant
- Generous and Merciful
- Magnanimous in Victory

Quarrian culture strongly advocates familial and social obligations. They have a very restrictive class structure, one enforced by iron tradition and long history. They are known to apply the iron hand to their own people, but are generally welcoming and tolerant of outsiders, as long as they do not seek to interfere with their traditional ways. There is no prohibition on mingling with foreigners or outsiders, but if a Quarrian associates too much with those not of their own kind, they are likely to be labeled as "outlander", so they keep their distance. If you are not one of them, Quarrians are likely to come off as kind, but distant. They prefer the sort of generosity that does not mean you will stay. If your city is destroyed and they are your friends, they will send men and material to rebuild it, but if you ask them if you can settle in their lands, they would laugh and politely tell you "No." If you tried to come in anyway, they would kill you. So go to the Quarrian trade cities, purchase your goods, spend the night, then bid your hosts farewell. Overstaying your welcome is the fastest way to earn a bad reputation among the Blue People, as they are often called.

Family ways

All Quarrians owe a debt to their families. Each family is a near-autocratic structure, with the oldest male acting as patriarch, directing and establishing relations between members of the family as well as between families. These families are often vast and elaborate, with feuds and bonds of filial loyalty to each other, entangling all Quarrians in nets of social responsibility and bonds. No Quarrian is ever alone, they are constantly linked to all their family, which is linked to their clan, which is linked to all the other clans. As such, information spreads fast through these chains of people. If you have ever done anything meaningful for a Quarrian, their family has heard of it, and odds are other families have. Thus it is said that you should never do a favor for a Blue Person, unless you want to start getting requests from their relatives and friends for the rest of your life. Of course, this is not always a bad thing, and their are foreign questants who linger in Quarrian trade cities, exclusively serving either the Blue People in general, or occasionally specific clans.

Quarrian families are also known to act as political units. The whole family is governed by the Patriarch, who commissions the members to engage in labyrinthine schemes. There are sayings about this, such as, "A family that rules together rues together," or "A family that plans together is placed together", though most of these are apocryphal or merely attributed to Quarrians. However, one thing that is not invented by outsiders is the famous quote of Governor-General Jamie Mazzon; "Quarrian politics was decided a century ago, we are merely the actors carrying out our roles." Families are known to hold grudges and feuds that they pass down from father to son. Quarrians have long memories, and their families forget even less. A Quarrian clan will remember what you have done for them, whether good or bad, for many, many decades, if not for generations. So be careful if you find yourself opposing a Blue Person. You might prevail today, only to find their relatives wish to speak to you years from now.

Quarrian marriage is dominated by the family. The Quarrian clan looms so large in their society, it subsumes everything around it. No marriage to any member of a family can go forward without approval of the Patriarch at the very least, and usually from the leading women of the family. For Grandfather may be in charge, but he would never marry off his granddaughter without the advice of his wife and sisters. Grooms in search of a bride must walk into another family's domain, and complete any tests the bride or her family might put before him. Quarrian Courtship is a delicate dance of romance, passionate vulnerability, adamant defense of one's own character, and fierce negotiation. Grooms are expected to swear, or promise to swear, oaths of fidelity and loyalty to the bride, as well as to profess friendship toward her father, brothers, and kinsmen.

This process of negotiation can sometimes last for months or years, but usually falls somewhere in between. Sometimes it takes place almost entirely by the trusted members of the family, with the bride and groom pining away, waiting anxiously for an answer. Though this isn't usually the case. That being said, while the stories often exaggerate this process for cheap comedy, it is usually not inaccurate that Quarrian marriage is trying affair. So when a marriage actually does occur, it should be no surprise that the Quarrians throw themselves entirely into the occasion.

Firstly, the entirety of two clans, or at least the members of that clan that approve, will gather. These gatherings can number from a few dozen to hundreds of Quarrians, all gathered in one place. There they conduct the religious ceremonies, either orchestrated by a Cleric or by the Patriarchs of the two clans. Then, when the bride and groom are officially wed, the feasting will begin. The feasting usually lasts a minimum of 7 days, one day for each of the Quarrian Gods, though larger ones can last for weeks or months. It's not uncommon for wealthy clans to throw month long parties involving thousands of animals, dozens of casks of wine, and elaborate gamesmanship. Besides feasting and drinking, these parties also include other contests, such as ritual combat, religious ceremony, feats of strength, spear-chucking and archery contests. The biggest clans sometimes also have tournaments where warriors clash for glory and honor, and the privilege of earning one of the bride's flowers. These large clans also sometimes bring along jugglers, fire-spitters, bards, gleemen, trained animals, exotic slaves, and other entertainers.

Finally, one final note. There is no law against it, only strong tradition, that a Quarrian must marry another Quarrian. Marrying outside of their race is generally frowned upon, though for Quarrian women, it is sometimes allowed. Quarrian men are never permitted to do this, except on rarest of occasions.

Finally, on the issue of divorce. Divorce is completely legal, though incredibly shameful to Quarrians. When a married couple splits up, their is always a scramble to obtain their property and divide it evenly among the two clans. Of course, evenly has massive quotation marks around it. The larger clan usually wins these legal squabbles. If the groom's clan is larger or wealthier, his wife was a depraved harlot who bore children that were not his, and if the bride's clan was the one with the upper hand, he was an abusive, degenerated man, unworthy of her, and they are reclaiming her for her own safety. For this reason, divorce is rarely pursued, as it can lead to many more problems then it solves, even if technically legal.

Gender ways

Quarrians practice strict gender segregation. All young Quarrians are taught to serve their clans and be virtuous, though expectations obviously vary. Boys are usually expected to pursue their father's profession, unless they have clearly demonstrated that they have no talent in that area. Girls are expected to get married and have children, and to pursue and observe romantic love then maternal duty, in that order.

These rules are strictly enforced, though not by legislation, but by the families and the overwhelming weight of social custom.

However, there is one aspect of the relationship between the sexes that is enforced through law. In all parts of Quarry, it is illegal for women to practice to magic, or to become Stars. As such, female Magi must conceal their power, or they could face very severe penalties. The West is more tolerant of such things, and will usually only use shaming or social pressure, but in the east, angry mobs are known to burn Sorcerers and Magi. Whether or not the people being hurled onto pyres are actually Magi is rarely an issue that concerns the mob.

Sex ways

Quarrians take the concept of pre-martial sex very seriously. For two unwed people to be caught in the act, or one to confess, will usually lead to the woman's male relatives tracking down and beating her male partner. They usually won't kill him, though it does occasionally happen. Usually they say it was accidental. Sometimes it even is.

Adultery, on the other hand, is a capital offense. To breach a marriage covenant is blasphemy to the Quarrians, and anyone who violates it is likely to suffer the most grevious punishment possible. To temper this, Quarrian law demands at least two eye-witnesses to prevent the innocent being sent to the chopping block. But while this has saved some, it often just outsources the work of punishing adulterers, or suspected adulterers, to the victim's family. The aggrieved clan will usually put together a posse to hunt down and kill the adulterer. Sometimes, if the evidence is irrefutable or the adulterer confesses to their own family, they are often abandoned and left for the posse to find, usually tied up or otherwise restrained so that they might not escape justice.

Thus, Quarrians take accusations of adultery very seriously. It is one of the most serious accusations a Quarrian could make, and never made lightly. To insulate themselves, Quarrians who feel they might be targeted by such often avoid intimate spaces with members of the opposite sex without a reliable witness, such as a Patriarch who refuses to go into a room with a woman without his faithful wife, or a young maid who clings to her sisters, making them her castle walls.

Virginity is valued, but it is never as important as fidelity, which is the crowning virtue for the Quarrians.

For other sexual deviancy, their are few laws against them. But depending on the accused's status in their clan, the evidence may be covered up, or they may be disowned by their family, the most serious punishment a Quarrian can suffer. To be without a family is to be an "outlander", a thing to be pitied, but not associated with.

Death ways

Quarrians die, just like any other men. The primary method used to dispose of a Quarrian's mortal body is to burn the body at night, so that their soul might be free to rise into the heavens, where they may meet their Gods once more in the Sea of Night. These are somber occasions, where all the members of the clan that can will gather around the pyre. There they will tell stories and rebuke the honored dead, accusing them of moving on without saying goodbye. Here stories are told of the dead. Not just tales of joy as well, the dead is celebrated and accused in turn, their sins and their glories expounded upon. Only when a Quarrian is dead can you truly know who he is.

After that, the Quarrian is placed on the pyre and set alight. Then, once the fire has gone out and the corpse has been largely consumed, the bones are removed and cleaned of flesh. The bones are then wired back together, dressed and adorned with ritual garments, and the skull is covered in a mask of gold and other metals, usually sculpted into an approximation of the dead. The wealthiest can afford jewelers and goldsmiths for this process, but poor families must settle for crude masks of copper, etched with only the faintest impressions of faces. These corpses are then taken to a crypt, where they are seated with their ancestors. These crypts are usually carved of stone or buried beneath the ground, but they do not resemble normal tombs, but homes. The dead are arranged on pillows of silk or stone benches, posed and arranged to suggest life still remains in their gold bones. Their remaining possessions that the clan cannot or will not use are then taken down with them, to be placed in drawers, on shelves, or in the hands of the dead themselves.

The Quarrians were, until relatively recently, a bunch of scattered tribes who fought for supremacy and squabbled with each other. The idea that they were all "Blue People" was not a foreign idea, but one they heavily resisted. But then, along came a Quarrian named Amanaxes Gollow. Amanaxes sought to unify the Quarrians and resist their foreign neighbors, who had continuously bullyed and abused the Quarrians for generations. Then one evening, when he arose to begin the business of the day, he saw a sign in the heavens, where the seven Moons aligned themselves into the symbol of his family's crest, and white fire flowed from these orbs, falling in a silver rain and running down over his head. Amanaxes it was then said, became overcome with a righteous, holy madness. He ran and roused his generals, and told them they were going to war. Amanaxes then began a series of wars to pacify the other tribes and unite them under his rule. However, Amanaxes was a radical, and rather then dominating the other tribes, instead organized his conquests around a small local religion, the Church of the Moons. And while Amanaxes would never complete his conquest of all Quarrians, his succeeded in spreading the Church of the Moons to every corner of the Blue People's lands, where it was rapidly adopted by many, for its self-evident rightness and correctness.

In the centuries that followed, The Church of the Moons developed a strong orthodoxy, a flat hierarchy built around peer review of clergy by other holy men, and became a unifying factor for all Quarrians. So while clans still warred against each other, now they all had at least one thing in common, and a few good arguments about why they shouldn't fight. And while this didn't prevent all fighting, it did give the Quarrians a unified identity that they could all rally around.

The Church of the Moons believes that the world is a battle-field, a hobbesian nightmare where all groups are pitted against each other in a ruthless battle of supremacy. They believe their Gods are part of this struggle, wandering through the Night Lands after dark, then hiding during the day, from the Hateful Eye, the Sun. To the crepuscular Quarrians, the Sun is a ruthless, judgmental figure, who scours the world with painful light and blistering heat. They know the Sun's name, but dare not speak it, as it is said to bring bad luck and occasionally, immolation.

They believe that their Gods are fighting a covert war against the Sun, and one day they will capture and muzzle him, reducing the world to eternal twilight and putting their enemies to sleep forever, while they will inherit the Earth. Until then, they must wait and endure.

Quarrians also believe in an after-life, of sorts. If a Quarrian is good, they will ascend into the void after death, and join one of the God's warbands, joining the eternal war against the Sun. But during the day, these souls must return to their mortal vessels to hide from the sun. This is also why Quarrians build underground crypts, so the Sun is not able to find their ancestors.

It is also a common practice to make offerings and pray to one's ancestors. This is a practice the Church of the Moons has been trying to stamp out, with very little success.

Notable Gods:

Ishane is their God of War, Family and Weather. He is also the oldest of the Gods, the Father of the other Moons. He is the head of the pantheon. He bring srain and stir up the Quarrian's inland seas with storms, and when displeased, dumps hailstones or shuts up the heavens and brings drought instead. He is said to resist the Sun by bringing rain, which cools the Quarrians and hides them from the Sun.

Marx is their God of Agriculture, Laborers, Travelers and Trickery. He is the second oldest of the Gods, and Ishane's sometimes rival for the throne. However, in the stories where he attempts to overthrow his brother, he is usually brought down by his own foolishness or arrogance, and thus taught a valuable lesson, which he humbly accepts. He resists the Sun by, in a stroke of cleverness, creating plants. Plants give shade to people and rely on the Sun to survive, so as long as plants exist, the Sun will be hesitant to scorch the world with fire, as the Sun considers plants it's adopted children.

Jazz is their Goddess of Maidenhood, Theatre and Madness. She is the youngest of Ishane's children, and his most treasured. She is said to protect young girls and children, and has a habit of driving those who oppose her mad, and her prophets are maddened fools, wandering the hills, eating rocks and attacking shadows as spies of the Sun. She opposes the Sun by stripping those who oppose her Father or older brothers of their imagination, driving them insane, and usually making them fall in love with her. These so-called "Moon-kissed" are poor folks, hunted by reasonable men and ignored by others. They gather in quiet corners and moonlight nights to sing songs or read their poetry glorifying her, asking her to be their bride. Jazz has never acknowledged their pleas.

Yono-Gazai [Yo-no Gahh-zai] is their Goddess of Motherhood, Death and the Calendar. She is Ishane's wife, and actually a loan from another pantheon. This is evident by her appearance, as while the other Quarrian gods look like idealized Quarrians with marks on their bodies reminiscent of the craters on the surface of their moon, Yono-Gazai is a screaming centripetal creature with long, twitching antennae, 5 breasts, 7 arms, 59 legs, 36 eyes, and a massive, bulging egg-sack that she carries around with her. Despite her terrifying appearance, however, she is actually said to be compassionate and loving to her adopted children, and her festivals are some of the most rowdy in the entire Quarrian religion.

Angels:

Angel of Reason

Also called Lunar Angels, these are creatures woven of moonbeams and liquid silver, dripping mercury from their semi-liquid bodies, their four wings shining with bronze and copper feathers. They can poison people with the mercury on their bodies, but their favorite thing to do is to rob people of their ability to imagine, of their mystical instincts. This swiftly drives people insane. This is not always done out of malice, as Angels of Reason are also known to bless prophets, and create Jazz's holy fools.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Demons of Madness, or the Sons of Selene.

Angel of Family

These beings resemble muscular, statuesque Quarrians, covered in shifting tattoos of black, white and yellow. They help to minister to families and matters relating to families. They come on wings of raven black, to punish and deride, but also to comfort and console. They are often seen whispering in the ears of widows, or hunting outlanders. Angels of Family have the power to mold and sculpt flesh like it is wet clay, and they use this to twist their foes into freakish grotesques, or to fuse two individuals into one body, as a overly literal metaphor of explaining how a family should work.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Demons of Obligation, or Demons of Blood.

Angel of Clememancy

These figures are white and flawless, 10 feet tall and wearing stern masks of iron, their eyes glittering behind like diamonds. Their wings are snow-white, and they usually have up to six. These Angels are experts of law and custom, and they come to see justice done. If a miscarriage of justice has occured, or if the Gods favor one person, an Angel of Clemenancy will come and pardon them. Angels of Clememancy can also forgive damage that has been done, dissolve contracts, wipe away enchantments and break curses with a touch.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Demons of Exemption, or Demons of Injustice.

Demons:

Demon of Fantasy

These creatures are brilliant and glorious, with skin like polished bronze and glittering steel wings. Their smiles light up the room (literally), and they are beautiful, from their ticking cogs to the warm flush of their metal bodies to the golden wire that makes up their hair. They bring with them insight, knowledge, and revelation, revealing terrible things that others might not want to hear. When one of these creatures is spotted, the Quarrians flee, singing songs and throwing rocks so that they might not hear its rhetoric. They are widely believed to be liars, encouraging ridiculous notions in the young and stirring up artists to create degenerate works. As such, the Stars work quickly to expel these creatures. But be warned if you cannot wait for one of them, Demons of Fantasy are very strong. They are impervious to fire and blindness, and can blind others, and control fire. But their most fearsome ability to overload the mind with raw color, firing lasers that induce genius and elaborate feats of fancy.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Angels of Inspiration, Artist's Angels, or Solar Angels.

Demon of Freedom

These are creatures that exist to break tradition and custom, to bring about anarchy and revolution. They do this for no real reason, the Quarrians say, other then because they can. The Demon of Freedom usually looks like a Quarrian or a handsome foreigner, always tastefully dressed, with shifting, multi-colored eyes. They will often pretend to be a Magi or a mystic, and occasionally a Star. They will then whisper ideas into people's ears, spreading dissent and fomenting dissent and revolution. Then, once discovered, Demons of Freedom will reveal their true power, disengaging gravity, slipping out of restraints, and casting spells. Be very careful around them.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Angels of Liberation, Angels of Freedom, and Holy Reformers.

Demon of Punishment

These are creatures that come to destroy and maim people, to take the law into their own hands. They are ugly and scarred, wearing forbidding coats of violet and capes of royal purple, crowning themselves with circlets of barbed steel wire. They descend on featherless wings of red, or they slide down robes of light dropped down from the clouds. They have the power to inflict wounds on people with a touch, to recruit weak-minded or troubled souls to their cause, and to cause pre-existing wounds to worsen. These creatures come to destroy those who have been pardoned or escaped the maximum penalty, making a mockery of justice and legal procedure. They are terrible and dangerous, and insist on their own moral superiority, even as they are killed.

Other cultures that do not share the values of the Quarrians refer to these entities as Angels of Justice, Divine Judges, or Sons of Vengeance.

<source unknown>

Magic ways

Quarrians abhor magic as the work of the Sun or his many illegitimate, illuminated children. It is zealously controlled by Clan Patriarchs and the Grand Court of Elders, which is the legislative body that theoretically governs all Quarrians (its more of a loose confederacy than a federal republic). Still, the Grand Court maintains as one of its few powers to administer the Stars, which are an order of Wizards that attend to them exclusively. The Stars act as the martial arm of the Grand Court, enforcing its rulings and helping keep peace and dissuade rebellion.

The Stars also work to make sure the practice of Magic is regulated, and seek to punish any who violate these precepts. To practice magic without the authorization of a Star or the Grand Court is commit the crime of use of or possession of "unlawful powers". The Stars are technically allowed to terminate such individuals on sight, though they rarely do so, as the power of the Grand Court is not great outside of certain urban zones or the heartlands, and especially along the frontier, where Patriarchs hold more power than the Learned Elders, many clans will have unlicensed or unregistered Magi. Sometimes these Magi hide in the shadows, while others walk openly, much to the distress or amusement of the locals.

But make no mistake, while often flouted, usually secretly but occasionally openly, unlicensed magic is very illegal, according to the Church of the Moons and the Grand Court. Suspicious commoners are likely to run suspected Magi out of town, or if they know the person is a Magi, to condemn them to the pyre. Governmental authorities are no better, though they have been attempting to crack down on non-governmental burnings, with mixed results.

Rank ways

Quarrians have an elaborate system of social caste based on family lineage, occupation, and current situation. Many of these castes also have certain clothing that only they wear, though it is not against the law to copy their styles of dress, but it is heavily frowned upon and a good way to earn a scolding. Stars usually wear their armor, bearing their family's seal and the icon of the Grand Court, while Priests wear silver or pale blue, Teachers, whether they teach violence, philosophy or religion wear white robes, healers wear robes of black, and even common folk wear tokens to indicate their profession and family. Quarrians can automatically determine someone's social position through the small indicators they weave into their wardrobe, but outsiders are likely going to admire the Quarrian's alleged fashion sense and not see anything further.

Additionally, one thing common to all the classes is hair and claws. For Quarrian women, the longer and better cared for her hair is, the better. As such, the daughters of aristocrats and the upper classes never cut their hair, seeking to make it as long as possible. Quarrian men, on the other hand, show their class through their nails. The lower classes usually trim their nails short to keep them manageable, with the exception of those who grow poppywine, who usually keep a single long nail to cut the heads off the insects that drink the narcotic fluid from the stems of the poppy plants. The upper classes, on the other hand, generally let their nails grow and file them till they are square. The wealthiest and richest also lacquer them as well, usually painting them bright colors, or at least something that will stand out against their blue skin.
This elaborate dress code is to maintain the elaborate social dynamics of Quarrian society, where the family is acknowledged, but also allowing people from opposite clans to understand how they should treat each other. Thus, even if he is a Mandelain and you are a Klugi, if he is wearing a robe of white, you know how rude you can be to him, without disrespecting him an unworthy amount. This is something the Quarrians do so instinctively that if they see someone of higher rank berating someone of lower rank, they will usually dismiss it out of hand as part and parcel of normal life, and not think twice about it.

Thus, if you have any knowledge, you can learn a lot about a Quarrian from just looking at them. But be careful, clever Quarrians are known to exploit this. For example, a Quarrian who pins their hair up, wears gloves and does not adorn themselves with any sign of family or rank is likely a thief or other scallywag.

Quarrian Plot Hooks1d12
1- The PCs are suspected of being Magi or Sorcery, and thus all the nearby Quarrians begin spying on them, to see if you do anything magical. Even if you don't, there is a 50% chance they run you out of town anyway, on the basis that it's better safe than sorry.
2- You find a Quarrian lashed to a tree by the side of the road. They are accused of adultery, and their clan decided it wasn't worth the effort of protecting them, so they were abandoned and left to die. The accusation may or may not be true.
3- A group of armed Quarrians confront the party on the road. They demand the party turn over their pack animals and any corpses they might have. They want to eat them. This is because they are actually the attendants of a lavish wedding feast that ran short of meat, and they are desperate to keep the party going. They may be open to paying the party a pittance, but not anything more.
4- A Quarrian wedding feast is being held in town. Tons of Blue People are running everywhere, performing bizarre magic tricks, singing songs, and drinking hundreds of gallons of ale as well as every animal they can get their hands on. There are plenty of people to socialize and/or rob, but the party could also participate in the tournament being held by the Patriarchs of the Clan. The prize is one of the blue roses the bride has, and a big pile of gifts.
5- A groom-to-be needs to impress hsi bride's clan that he is worthy of her. So he hires the PCs to be his character witnesses and come along with him for dinner. Just make sure you don't say anything that might ruin his chances with his love, or get you all run out of town. Bonus points if the PCs actually do know this Quarrian, and aren't just making stuff up.
6- A group of starving, impoverished people have gathered outside a Quarrian town, and are asking to be let in. The Quarrians have barred the door and informed them that they are not getting in, and if they try to, they will be killed. Things are rapidly spiralling out of control, and at this rate, violence is inevitable. Can you negotiate between both parties, or just exploit the chaos?
7- A local person of interest hires you to hunt down a group of Quarrians. Recently, the person of interest accidentally/purposefully killed one of them, and the Quarrians are going to return to their clan. If they can reach the rest of their kinsmen, they are likely to return with a small army to destroy the person responsible, along with anyone who has the unfortunate luck to be nearby. Will you go hunt down the Quarrians and prevent them from spreading the word, or will you kidnap the person of interest and deliver them into the power of the Quarrian and hope for clememancy?
8- The PCs are roped into joining a posse to pursue a pair of adulterers who eloped. However, the posse also includes armed elements from two separate clans, each the relatives of one of the adulterers. These two elements despise each other, and blame the member of the other clan for the adultery, and pin all blame on them. So tread carefully, as the posse is a powderkeg, and the leaders of the armed excursion are like men smoking in an arsenal.
9- A prophet of one of the Gods of the Blue People approaches the PCs and begins to tell them of their glorious destiny. All they will have to do to achieve unimaginable fame, fortune or glory is to partake in something insane, dangerous, or hideous. Probably all three.
10- It's time for one of the festivals of Yono-Gazai. A local city is taken over by an insane festival to the centipedal goddess of motherhood. Expect ugliness contests, ritual theft, farce marriages, boisterousness and hooliganism. Lock up your daughters and valuable or breakable objects. Also, there is definitely someone trying to exploit the party to do something despicable in the midst of all the chaos. However, no matter what this crime is, the revelers will not stop until the festival is over, though they will slow down at sunhigh and midnight, and will take breaks to sleep.
11- The Moon-kissed. The PCs are hired to kill a bunch of monstrous wild-men called the "Moon-kissed". The person who hires them has you promise to return with their heads, then dispatches you. However, the Moon-kissed turn out to be a bunch of half-sane weirdos prancing about in the moonlight, wearing silly outfits and reading poetry in the hope that it impresses their love, one of the Moon Goddesses, Jazz. The Moon-kissed are not evil, but they are largely crazy and indifferent to you, and will defend themselves with shocking violence. Also, you definitely weren't the only one hired to kill these guys.
12- You encounter a young Quarrian girl far from home, all alone, with a wounded leg. If you know anything about the Quarrians, you can clearly tell that she is one of the elite, the uppercrust of uppercrust, but she has no family crest. The girl will ask you to help her return to her family. Anything you do to this girl, whether good or bad, will be noticed and rewarded or punished. This is because this is actually the Goddess Jazz in disguise. If you treat her well, she will bless you. But if you mistreat her, she will reveal her divinity and punish you harshly.